Zuko's Journey
by LlamaGuy
Summary: Zuko is unsure about his future. Should he be good or evil? Or find a balance inbetween? This story is mainly about Zuko, and what he does after the conquest of Ba Sing Sei. There are also darker secrets of the world yet to be revealed...
1. The Vision

Zuko sat in the private chambers of the Palace. He was very unsure what to think. So much had happened these last days in Ba Sing Sei. But now, he wasn't sure what was right and what was wrong. He knew he had betrayed some. His uncle, how could he even betray him? Iroh was the only one that had always been there for him after he got banished, he was the one that had taught him so much; about life, how to handle oneself, and of course, firebending. And Zuko had betrayed him. And for what? To restore his honor? Although he believed what Azula said, deep down, inside his heart, he knew that the Fire Lord, his father, wasn't the one for forgiveness. He would probably end up in jail when he got back. Or worse. But, this was so deep down that what Azula had said earlier, about how he had restored his honor, was overthrowing his deepest feelings. She just had these persuasive powers that could convince almost anyone that she was the one that was right. And then there was this Waterbending girl, Katara. She had actually started to trusthim. But he had betrayed her too, he had betrayed many people. But he didn't know whether it felt right or wrong to do it.

"Zuko?" It was Azula. She had entered the room without him noticing.

"What is it?" Zuko replied

"I have sent a messenger to the Fire Lord. In just a matter of days the Fire Lord will receive the news" Azula said.

Zuko felt something inside himself. Was it joy, because he would get his honor back? That was the strongest feeling inside him, but he had this smaller, stirring feeling from deep, deep inside. It was of sadness, depression. It told him that he had nothing left with the Fire Nation; that his life would be with the enemies of the Fire Nation, or maybe no side at all. But what could he do about it? He looked around the room. Azula was gone. She had the ability to walk very silently, so she could easily sneak up on anyone, or sneak out of the window. Zuko looked out the window. The great city of Ba Sing Sei laid before him. He thought that soon, the Fire Nation would be invading it with their soldiers. And what would happen with the people in the town? Would they survive? Or would they perish in the war?

Zuko laid on the bed, thinking about what to do. He knew he couldn't go his uncle for help; he would only leave Zuko. And he couldn't go to the Avatar for help; he would probably just kill Zuko, or leave. But, should he stay with Azula? The thought of regaining his honor, it was stimulating; he felt some joy when he thought of how he would be greeted when he returned home. But still, he was very unsure about it.

The sun was setting, and Zuko was lying on the bed, completely still. He had problems sleeping. That wasn't so strange, considering how his mind was still in turmoil. But, eh eventually fell asleep.

"You have proven that you are worthy of regaining your honor" The Fire Lord said to Zuko.

"You are welcome into the Fire Nation now". And then, Zuko saw his mother. Was she for real? He thought they had taken her away. But, there she was, standing, and smiling at Zuko. But, all of a sudden, she fell down to the floor. Behind her, a Dai Lee soldier was standing, his hand stretching out with a sharp rock covering it. The rock fell down to the ground, disappearing. Then a bolt of lightning came. It gave a flash so great Zuko thought he was going blind. When the light faded, he saw the Fire Lord, his father, falling to the floor, with a big hole through his back, all the way through to the chest. What had happened? Zuko set his sight up. There, Azula stood. And she spoke out to all of the people that had gathered there.

"You are now watching and hearing your new leader speaking. Yes, that is right. I, Azula, the daughter of Ozai, have now taken control of the Fire Nation. As you can clearly see, your previous leader was weak. He couldn't even see this attack coming. Now, you have a much stronger and more powerful leader. And I can see threats. Therefore, Zuko, this traitor and enemy of the Fire Nation, must be eliminated."

Zuko turned up to Azula. He knew that this was his final moment. A flash of lightning came, and the last thing Zuko heard before everything blackened, was cheering and chanting for "Fire Lady Azula".

Zuko got up from his bed abruptly. He had just experienced a terrible nightmare. Or _was_ it a nightmare? Maybe it was something more? Could it be a vision of some kind? Were Azula plotting to overthrow the Fire Lord and take control herself? Zuko felt that it would happen. He had to stop Azula! But how?

He heard noises outside of his room. He went out, and saw a person walking through the hallway. He grabbed the person, and took him with him into his room. He took of his hat, which was covering a large portion of his face. And then Zuko realized, it wasn't a man, it was a girl. Zuko wondered what she could be doing here. She said that she was a messenger for Azula, and that she was delivering a letter to Azula. Zuko took the letter, and read it.

_Azula, the time is soon. Take Zuko with you, and I will "welcome" him, as we have planned. You will be given a new letter, and it will describe how you will journey home with Zuko. Remember, your failure will be paid with your blood!_

It was now that Zuko realized it; that he had not been able to regain any honor, he would be receiving a false welcome, and then he would be "taken care of". Zuko realized that he had to get out of here. He grabbed the messenger, and found a small room where she could stay. Zuko lit up a small fire, blocking the exit, so that the messenger wouldn't get the message to Azula before dawn or so. This would give Zuko time to escape.


	2. A Familiar Face

Zuko ran like the wind. He had no real plan from here on, he had just done things one after one. First that messenger, then he had killed the guards. The guards had obviously been given orders to stop him from exiting at all costs, and that meant they wouldn't stop executing their order before death struck them. That had left Zuko with no choice. He had to kill them. The easiest way was to send a fireball through their heart, and that's what he had done. But he didn't like it. _I shouldn't have killed them. Knocking them unconscious would've been better_. But still, he was not sure. He was just panicked and angered, and he had struck without thinking. He regretted his lack of emotional control. But, that was not the time for that.

He had to focus on the now. Where could he hide? Where could he run? The Dai Lee could probably find him anywhere, at least in Ba Sing Sei. That meant that Zuko's highest priority would be to escape from the great city. And the easiest way was the trains. Zuko found the nearest station, and sat down on a bench. But what should he do next? Zuko decided not to thing too much of it, and he laid down on the bench, and tried to rest a bit before the next train came, just some minutes from here.

"Hey, you!" Zuko heard a female voice. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Now he remembered what voice that was. It was Jin! Zuko remembered that night with all of a sudden. How he had lighted the fountain, and then… the kiss. And he had run off. He hadn't been brave enough to stay, or was it something else? Anyway, she was here now. So, Zuko got up from the bench, but halted as soon as she saw her.

Zuko remembered what he had done earlier that night; the messenger he had locked away. How long was it since? Zuko looked up at the sky. Small rays of sun were shooting across the sky. Had he fallen asleep? And for such a long time? How could that be possible? That meant that he didn't have much time. Azula was going to find out any time now. The next train were arriving soon, though. But that was not the worst matter. This girl standing in front of him, she had Jin's voice, and it was her face. But, that was also another face. The face of the messenger he had locked away earlier.

"Jin? How… what…" Zuko was nearly stunned. Jin just giggled.

"You're still a tough man, aren't you? You did treat me harsh up there." Jin smiled, and let out another giggle.

"I, um… I apologize for that" Zuko said. He was still stunned.

"Apology accepted" Jin replied.

"Thanks. But, why… why did you…"

"Work as a messenger for that Fire Nation Princess?" Jin quickly replied. But just as she was going to talk some more, the train arrived, and Zuko got in it. Jin followed him.

"Why are you following me here? This train is headed out of the city"

"I wasn't done talking to you, was I?" Jin replied. They both smiled.

"You see, I work as a messenger, but it's usually delivering special letters around town. Then, I got a request to carry a very special, top secret letter to the Palace. Of course, I gladly accepted. I was so happy. To deliver a letter to the King? It was like a dream come true for me." She took a little break before continuing.

"I got the letter last evening, in a small room in the outskirts of the town. I got my directions, and headed to the palace. I got in, and before I knew it, you grabbed me, and I was locked in a room with the only exit sealed."

"So you didn't work for Azula intentionally?" Zuko asked. His face was dead serious, contrary to Jin's which was looking happy. Zuko couldn't help but giving out a small smile. She was always so full of joy. Where did she get all that from? He was suddenly interrupted with his thoughts.

"Well, I didn't know I was working for that Fire Nation Princess, if that's what you mean." Zuko wondered. Why did she get chosen for the delivery? The Dai Lee were completely able to deliver something themselves. Or did they need an outsider to do the job?

"Your face looks puzzled all of a sudden. What's with that?" Jin asked.

"Well, um… nothing. Wait, yes, there is one thing. How did you get out?"

"I um… waited until the fire stopped." Jin replied. Something on her face told Zuko that she wasn't telling the truth. But, it couldn't be helped.

"The end stop is nearing. We have to get off here." Zuko said.

As they went out of the train, Zuko turned to Jin.

"What will you do from here on? And… wait, what did you do with the letter to Azula?"

"I burned it" Jin said, with a smile on her face.

"Not good," Zuko said "Azula will probably be looking for you now."

"What should I do then?" Jin asked.

"Get out of the city as fast as you can."

"Can't I just come with you?" Jin asked. Zuko felt a strange surge through his body all of a sudden. What was that? She asked to come with him. Why? Why would she want to travel with him?

"I have my own path to go" Zuko said quickly. "Go now, you have to get out of the town!"

"Okay" Jin said. She reluctantly ran off, to the nearest gate. Zuko, on the other hand, started climbing up the great wall with some climbing equipment he had "acquired" earlier.

_What a night. I escaped from Azula, ran through town, and I managed to fall asleep right before my escape on the night train. And then I met Jin again._ Zuko sighed. What should he do? He felt bad for leaving Jin. Would she manage herself outside? And there was still one question: How did she really get out of that room? The fire wouldn't have lighted out before someone discovered it. Zuko decided not to think too much of it as he reached the top of the wall. But, the sight that met him now was nothing he had ever expected.


	3. The Brothers In The Forest part 1

Zuko climbed up on the top of the wall. It was a long climb, but he managed to get up in time. Now he took a little rest, as the sun began to rise over the sky. Zuko knew where he was headed now; straight east, towards the ocean. There was rumored to be a small village somewhere at the east coast. The people there were isolated from the war, and had not any knowledge of the Fire nation's rampages, so it would be a safe place for him to stay, at least for a while. But, all he could see was mountains to the east. Was the ocean behind them, then? Zuko did not have that much knowledge of the areas east of Ba Sing Sei. At any rate, Zuko decided to go there. He started walking along the wall, toward the east. When he was at the east section, he heard voices. He got on the outside of the wall, clinging to the wall with the climbing gear, hoping to not get seen. The voices got closer, so close he could her them now.

"Yeah, that's right" the one said

"A big scar on the left eye, then?"

"Yes, that's right. If we see that guy, we're supposed to get him unharmed, and return him to that Fire Nation Princess"

"What was his name again? Z… Zako, Zito… Zuto! That's it." _'It's Zuko, you bastard!'_ Zuko thought, resisting the temptation to scream it out to them,

"You sure? I thought it was…"

"Shut it. I don't want to hear whatever attempts you have at guessing. You're not right, you never are."

"Well, um… okay, then"

The voices started to fade, before disappearing completely. Zuko decided it was not safe to walk around on the wall, so he decided to go down and head around to the east side through the small forest situated below. So he walked through it. It wasn't the longest of walk, just half an hour or so.

When he got to the east wall, he headed into the forest. It got much denser the further in he came, and light was scarce, but enough to see ahead. After several hours of walking, he felt for taking a rest, and sat down, and sat his arms down on the ground, only to put the left hand on something sharp. He reacted instantly by drawing away his hand and looking down to where he had put his hand. He couldn't see anything, and left it behind.

The sharp object had punctured his skin, and pain came. But it didn't feel quite right. The pain was too big compared to the size and magnitude of the wound. He thought that his skin was punctured deeper than he thought, and decided to ignore it, and let it fix itself.

After finding a place to rest, and sitting down for a while, he decided to walk on. Several hours had passed now, and the sun was high on the sky. But still, the light merely got through the dense forest. After another hour or two of walking, he felt that the terrain began to rise, and he figured he had to be at the bottom of the mountains. But now, he began to feel really dizzy, and a headache were coming. Zuko sat down, he had to rest. Come to think of it, he had not eaten or slept the last two days, he had gone from the crystal caves to the palace, and then escaping, all without no food or sleep at all. Was that why?

His thoughts wee abruptly interrupted by sounds, sounds of people moving through the forest.

"There he is!" a voice said.

"It seem to be working" another said.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it?" a third voice continued

"It always works" a fourth said.

"Who is there ?" Zuko asked, with what little power he had left

"He's still able to talk" the first one said

"Amazing" the second said

"Our poison is supposed to paralyze anyone almost instantly" the third said

"But he walked for a long time, and it hasn't worked yet" the fourth said

"You've still not answered my question: Who are you?" Zuko shouted angrily, but he ended up coughing and hardly being able to breathe

"You must be amazing" the first said

"Since you've not been paralyzed yet" the second said

"But it will work, eventually" the third said

"And then it's over" the fourth said

"But let us not be impolite" the first said

"You are right" the second said

"Let's introduce ourselves" the third said

"Care to start?" the fourth said

"I'm Han, the greatest sword master of all! No one bests me when it comes to sword fighting! Firebender!"

"I'm Ban, the greatest archer of them all! I specialize in every ranged weapon, and can strike everyone from a safe distance! Waterbender!"

"I'm Yan, the greatest hand-to-hand fighter of all! No one bests me in martial arts! Earthbender!"

"I'm Kan, the one with greatest agility of all! I strike my enemies from the shadows with deathly speed! Waterbender!"

"Together, we're the Han-San brothers!" the all said in choir.

"I can take you all!" Zuko said, getting up on his feet, and making himself ready to battle. But, as he said it, he felt that he couldn't move, and he fell down to the ground. _What's this? I can't move. I can't speak. What has happened? I don't even feel anything. _Thoughts were raging through his head. Would this be his end? Would his escape be in vain? And what would they do to him? As everything went black, his head was filling with more and more thoughts.


	4. The Brothers In the Forest part 2

Chapter 4: The brothers in the forest (Part 2)

Zuko opened his eyes. It was painful. He couldn't see. Was it dark? Or was it just that his eyes hadn't adapted to the surroundings yet? He tried to get up, but he couldn't, because his hands were tied, and so were his feet. As he struggled, he heard some voices outside. The voices of the four who had captured him. They were unclear, so he could only hear some of the words being spoken.

"Prince… exile… bounty"

Did they talk of him? Had Azula put a bounty on his head? Zuko thought that he had to get up, and away. But, he heard the voices some more.

"Avatar… here… Waterbender girl… ransom"

What did they speak of. Had they spotted the Avatar? Wait, a waterbender girl with the Avatar? The thing Zuko wanted the least was to encounter her again. Now he really had to get outta here. He thought how to get out, before realizing that he was tied with normal ropes, so he did simply ignite a fire around his hands, which caused the rope to burn away. He then sent a small fire at the rope around his legs, got up, and exited the tent he was in. He wasn't sure whether or not he could take them on in his current state, but before he could think, one of the brothers was standing in front of him. He took up an empty hilt, and suddenly a flame streamed up from the hilt, creatign a sword. He then charged at Zuko.

"You the only one here?" Zuko asked.

"Nah, but we fight one-on-one" he said.

'_This is at my advantage then_' Zuko thought. If they only took him one at one, he could take them down. He dodged Han's attack easily. Han just made a smirk and cahrged at Zuko again, screaming. Zuko doged this as well. The next attack though, he didn't dodge. Rather, he just manipulated the flame sword so that it disappeared, before knocking Han down. He sent a fire blast at him, but he simply blocked it. uko looked around for anything that could be a kind of armory. He saw some worn armor pieces outside one of the tents, and ran over there, blocking any fire arrows Han sent at him. When he got into the tent, he saw several swords, and picked up a broadsword, and set the tent on fire before exiting it. He then charged at Han, swinging the sword at an extraordinary pace. '_I guess my heavy sword training came to some use once after all_' he thought. Han was barely dodging his sword attacks at it was, and when Zuko sent a small blast of fire at him, he got knocked backwards. Zuko then raised his sword, and ent it down on him to deliver the finishing blow. But, he never got so far, becaue Han drew a sword of his own; a real sword, and blocked Zuko's attack. He then rolled away, and jumped to his feet. He charged at Zuko with his katana, and Zuko was forced to dodge it. Zuko then ran behind a tree, hiding, before making a fire ball in his hands, which he rapidly expanded, making it really huge; twice his own size at least. He then looked out, to the small camp, and saw Han looking around. He sent the fire ball at him. Han noticed something, and turned around to see the fire ball, just a bit to late, so he barely managed to create a small ball of his own to send at Zuko's, reducing the impact a bit, only enough to avoid dying instantly. Zuko then ran at him with his sword, to deliver the final blow, he stopped in his tracks when a arrow of water passed by him.

"Don't touch him. I'll be your opponent now" a man said.

Zuko didn't pay attention, but rather threw his sword the short distance to Han; which almost cut his body in half, killing him off.

"You…!" the archer said "Well, he underestimated you. I won't do so" the man said. He was very tall and silver-haired, unlike the firebender Zuko had just beaten whom looked like himself except the bald head. "I am Ban" the man said. He held a bow that was no more than water shaped like a bow. He created an arrow, almsot out of nowhere, before firing at Zuko. Zuko barely dodged the arrow. He picked up the katana belonging to the now dead Han, and ran towards him. He sent fire blasts at him, but they died out in mid-air. What was he? Zuko thought. How could he do that? Zuko didn't care right now, and jumped up to the branch he was on, slashing his sword at him, but it simply hit a wall, and then floated up in the air, which had turned quite foggy now. It then broke in a thousand small pieces. Zuko then suddenly felt an intesne pain on his body; it was as if someone were squeezing him. He then saw, in the air around him, that the fog slowly turned to water. Zuko now figured what he was doing: He was using the water in the air, compressing it around Zuko. And, now that it was foggy; it was ideal for this technique. '_I__f__ it just w__as__n't foggy_' Zuko thought.

"If it wasn't foggy, then I wouldn't be able to do this?" Ban said, utterly lacking any emotion. "You are wrong, child. I can draw water from anything, anywhere."

'_How can he read my thoughts?_' Zuko wondered to himself.

"It was merely reading thoughts. I just knew you would react like that. Existing for thousands of years gives you the experience to know knwo such things".

Now Zuko was confused. This man didn't seem like the same one who had spoken before they left.

"Who are you?" Zuko asked?

"Oh? You realized? Maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought" he said. "I am Bajatawa. That is all you need to know. All I know is that you must die. That is what I was tasked to do. And no…" he was interrupted as a huge stream of water struck him, causing the water around Zuko to fall down, releasing him. Zuko then saw over where the water came from. '_Oh, no. Not her!_' he thought, and ran away the first thing.

Bajatawa arose, and saw over, noticing Katara with her octopus technique. "Hmm… it seems things have complicated. I must take my leave." he said, and flew off into the fog.

One thing you should know, I am not going to have any ships in this fic. There is a completely other reason to why Katara was here now.


	5. Mysteries

Zuko walked down along the cliff. There was a small path going along it. From where, he did not know, but all he knew was that he was going down towards the city lying in the valley. It took him one half of an hour to walk down, and when he got down, he had to walk fifteen minutes through the forest, to get to the city in the center of the crescent-shaped valley. When he got there, he was met by a large port with wooden houses along it, stretching far. Zuko walked into the town. It was bustling with life; fishermen selling their fish, travelling merchants, stores, boats coming in and out, the occasional musician playing, and even more. Zuko walked away from the ocean, and towards the forest. He thought he would reach it soon, but he didn't. The houses went far, far into the valley, but when he got a bit in, they were hidden beneath the forest. The city was really, really large, but most of it was hidden inside the forest, making it seem like it was only a small town at the sea edge. That was probably how it had not experienced the war; Zuko had not seen a single Fire Nation soldier since he came here, in fact, he hadn't seen one since he left Ba Sing Sei. He figured he could stay a while. The first thing he had to do, though, was to find somewhere to stay. He had almost forgotten it, but he had a good portion of money, which he had "acquired" from the treasury of Ba Sin Sei before he fled.

He found himself a nice tavern, located along the edges of an open market square, as well as next to the port walkway. He rented a nice room, located so he could look at the ocean through a window in it. And, with the prices they had there, he could stay pretty long. Anyway, he ate dinner; fried scorfish, and then walked out, and looked around. It was still lively, even though it was getting late; the sun was setting in a not so long time. He looked around. What to do now? He looked at the people around him: A merchant selling goods to the townspeople, a musician playing for money, someone snatching money, a waterbender, a… wait, a waterbender!? He looked at her. Just as he did, she looked at him. Their eyes met. But that was only for a moment. Her eyes turned angry, filled with hate, and, almost before he could jump to safety, a big amount of water crushed down where he just stood. He answered that by sending a fireball back at her. The ruckus caused people to run about in panic, but the square got emptied pretty soon.

"You! Why are you here!?" Katara screamed with a touch of hate Zuko had almost never heard before.

"You are here to kill me, aren't you? To capture Aang? So that you can get you so-called "honor" back?" Katara screamed, sending icicles at him, which he barely dodged or melted, turning them to water that fell down to the ground. He sent a fireball back, but it got overwhelmed by huge amounts of water. The water was just floating there, in midair. It closed up on Zuko, but then it stopped. It came to a complete standstill. It got quiet. So quiet you could hear the waves from the ocean beating against the port. But it didn't last pretty long. Zuko got caught by surprise when several blocks of ice shot through the water. They hit him with a terrifying force, causing him to fall over, bleeding from his head and left leg. Then, the huge mass of water crushed down on him. It struck right down where he was. Katara then froze the water, just to make sure.

Zuko lay there, under the ice. He felt beaten. He_ was_ beaten. By this waterbender girl. No, he could not be beaten. He wasn't ready for the end yet. He still felt that he had things to do; things to find out. The ice started to glow, literally. It melted away, slowly. And what didn't melt away, got blown away when a massive amount of fire, setting several nearby houses on fire. The houses were quickly taken care of by Katara, who sent masses of water in to calm the fires. This, though, only served to give Zuko an opening, which he used to the fullest. But, even he did not know what he did, as a surge of lightning went flying straight over Katara's right shoulder. Zuko and Katara both stopped in surprise, but it did not go long before they picked up the battle again. Zuko now created a massive amount of fire close to him, ignoring his pain completely. Katara on the other hand, whirled up the ocean water, creating a huge tower of water, with her on the top. From the bottom, more and more water gathered up along the tower, making it grow in width and height. Zuko then sent his attack going. A stream of fire, so powerful it almost melted the ground below, was sent flying towards Katara. She answered by sending a massive amount of water past her, extending the whirl towards the flames from Zuko. It would be a massive collision as the two attacks met; no doubt about that. But that was not on their minds right now. All they cared about was to focus all their power on the attacks. On creating the most powerful one. The one that would overwhelm the enemy. But, just as the two attacks met, they got blown away.

This caused Katara to fall down, landing harshly in the water.

"Katara, stop it!" It was a voice they both knew; it was Aang, the Avatar.

"Aang!" Katara said, as she got up from the sea. "Don't you see who he is? He is probably here to kill you!"

"I don't know what he is after, but fighting here is not a good idea. Look at the people." Aang said, pointing to the few people still outside, both scared to death and looking like they've never seen a fight before. "This town is free of the worries of the war. We don't bring any good by fighting here."

"Oh, so you want him to walk around freely and kill you when he gets the chance?" Katara asked, still pretty angry.

"So… he attacked you first then?" Aang asked.

"Well… no, he didn't. But still…" Katara said, being interrupted by Aang.

"Exactly. How do you know he is trying to kill us if he wasn't the one who attacked?" Aang asked. Katara didn't say anything. "I think you should apologize" Aang continued.

"WHAT!?" Katara asked, furiously.

"He doesn't want to kill us. I can see it on him. So you should apologize. Even though he tried to kill us earlier, if he isn't now, we should forgive him. We should always forgive." Aang continued.

"Guess you're right…" Katara said, unsure about what to say. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" she said to Zuko.

"It's okay" Zuko said, and walked off.

He thought about it; he wasn't out to kill the Avatar; that is correct. But something… something seemed different about them. Like they were wiser… or more powerful. Something had changed, at least. Zuko decided not to think so much about it, and walked into the tavern he was using. Luckily, it was on the opposite end of the square, so it wasn't in any way affected by the battle. Though, when he walked in, everyone stared at him; a mixture of fright and hate met him.

"I'm sorry" Zuko said. "This should pay the costs to repair the destroyed buildings" he said, and threw a small bag of gold coins at the counter, before heading upstairs to his room, and going to sleep. He needed the rest. But, as he lay down, the pain began to come back. He had almost completely forgotten about that, but now it was reappearing. It was unpleasant, but he had to live with it, and it didn't take him long to fall to sleep.


	6. Rage

Zuko walked down along the cliff. There was a small path going along it. From where, he did not know, but all he knew was that he was going down towards the city lying in the valley. It took him one half of an hour to walk down, and when he got down, he had to walk fifteen minutes through the forest, to get to the city in the center of the crescent-shaped valley. When he got there, he was met by a large port with wooden houses along it, stretching far. Zuko walked into the town. It was bustling with life; fishermen selling their fish, travelling merchants, stores, boats coming in and out, the occasional musician playing, and even more. Zuko walked away from the ocean, and towards the forest. He thought he would reach it soon, but he didn't. The houses went far, far into the valley, but when he got a bit in, they were hidden beneath the forest. The city was really, really large, but most of it was hidden inside the forest, making it seem like it was only a small town at the sea edge. That was probably how it had not experienced the war; Zuko had not seen a single Fire Nation soldier since he came here, in fact, he hadn't seen one since he left Ba Sing Sei. He figured he could stay a while. The first thing he had to do, though, was to find somewhere to stay. He had almost forgotten it, but he had a good portion of money, which he had "acquired" from the treasury of Ba Sin Sei before he fled.

He found himself a nice tavern, located along the edges of an open market square, as well as next to the port walkway. He rented a nice room, located so he could look at the ocean through a window in it. And, with the prices they had there, he could stay pretty long. Anyway, he ate dinner; fried scorfish, and then walked out, and looked around. It was still lively, even though it was getting late; the sun was setting in a not so long time. He looked around. What to do now? He looked at the people around him: A merchant selling goods to the townspeople, a musician playing for money, someone snatching money, a waterbender, a… wait, a waterbender!? He looked at her. Just as he did, she looked at him. Their eyes met. But that was only for a moment. Her eyes turned angry, filled with hate, and, almost before he could jump to safety, a big amount of water crushed down where he just stood. He answered that by sending a fireball back at her. The ruckus caused people to run about in panic, but the square got emptied pretty soon.

"You! Why are you here!?" Katara screamed with a touch of hate Zuko had almost never heard before.

"You are here to kill me, aren't you? To capture Aang? So that you can get you so-called "honor" back?" Katara screamed, sending icicles at him, which he barely dodged or melted, turning them to water that fell down to the ground. He sent a fireball back, but it got overwhelmed by huge amounts of water. The water was just floating there, in midair. It closed up on Zuko, but then it stopped. It came to a complete standstill. It got quiet. So quiet you could hear the waves from the ocean beating against the port. But it didn't last pretty long. Zuko got caught by surprise when several blocks of ice shot through the water. They hit him with a terrifying force, causing him to fall over, bleeding from his head and left leg. Then, the huge mass of water crushed down on him. It struck right down where he was. Katara then froze the water, just to make sure.

Zuko lay there, under the ice. He felt beaten. He_ was_ beaten. By this waterbender girl. No, he could not be beaten. He wasn't ready for the end yet. He still felt that he had things to do; things to find out. The ice started to glow, literally. It melted away, slowly. And what didn't melt away, got blown away when a massive amount of fire, setting several nearby houses on fire. The houses were quickly taken care of by Katara, who sent masses of water in to calm the fires. This, though, only served to give Zuko an opening, which he used to the fullest. But, even he did not know what he did, as a surge of lightning went flying straight over Katara's right shoulder. Zuko and Katara both stopped in surprise, but it did not go long before they picked up the battle again. Zuko now created a massive amount of fire close to him, ignoring his pain completely. Katara on the other hand, whirled up the ocean water, creating a huge tower of water, with her on the top. From the bottom, more and more water gathered up along the tower, making it grow in width and height. Zuko then sent his attack going. A stream of fire, so powerful it almost melted the ground below, was sent flying towards Katara. She answered by sending a massive amount of water past her, extending the whirl towards the flames from Zuko. It would be a massive collision as the two attacks met; no doubt about that. But that was not on their minds right now. All they cared about was to focus all their power on the attacks. On creating the most powerful one. The one that would overwhelm the enemy. But, just as the two attacks met, they got blown away.

This caused Katara to fall down, landing harshly in the water.

"Katara, stop it!" It was a voice they both knew; it was Aang, the Avatar.

"Aang!" Katara said, as she got up from the sea. "Don't you see who he is? He is probably here to kill you!"

"I don't know what he is after, but fighting here is not a good idea. Look at the people." Aang said, pointing to the few people still outside, both scared to death and looking like they've never seen a fight before. "This town is free of the worries of the war. We don't bring any good by fighting here."

"Oh, so you want him to walk around freely and kill you when he gets the chance?" Katara asked, still pretty angry.

"So… he attacked you first then?" Aang asked.

"Well… no, he didn't. But still…" Katara said, being interrupted by Aang.

"Exactly. How do you know he is trying to kill us if he wasn't the one who attacked?" Aang asked. Katara didn't say anything. "I think you should apologize" Aang continued.

"WHAT!?" Katara asked, furiously.

"He doesn't want to kill us. I can see it on him. So you should apologize. Even though he tried to kill us earlier, if he isn't now, we should forgive him. We should always forgive." Aang continued.

"Guess you're right…" Katara said, unsure about what to say. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" she said to Zuko.

"It's okay" Zuko said, and walked off.

He thought about it; he wasn't out to kill the Avatar; that is correct. But something… something seemed different about them. Like they were wiser… or more powerful. Something had changed, at least. Zuko decided not to think so much about it, and walked into the tavern he was using. Luckily, it was on the opposite end of the square, so it wasn't in any way affected by the battle. Though, when he walked in, everyone stared at him; a mixture of fright and hate met him.

"I'm sorry" Zuko said. "This should pay the costs to repair the destroyed buildings" he said, and threw a small bag of gold coins at the counter, before heading upstairs to his room, and going to sleep. He needed the rest. But, as he lay down, the pain began to come back. He had almost completely forgotten about that, but now it was reappearing. It was unpleasant, but he had to live with it, and it didn't take him long to fall to sleep.


	7. The Voyage Part 1: Towards death

Zuko stood in an endless, shallow lake; so shallow that only his feet were under water. Where was he? As he looked around, he saw nothing but water, water and more water. So he started to walk. Suddenly, his one leg fell down, as if stepping on a hole. Then the other leg fell, and his body followed. But how could he fall through water? Anyway, he fell, and fell. And there, he saw, as he fell, his mother. His mother, she was smiling, smiling to the low person next to her. That was... Zuko as a kid! '_But how...'_ Zuko was confused. But he saw there, at his happy mother, how she was smiling. But then there came a sudden flash, and she fell to the ground, with a big hole in her back. Zuko tried to reach out to her, but he was still falling, and she was... nowhere, but still there. He was shocked. Then, he looked up above her, and saw Azula, with a big, evil smile on her face. The baby Zuko then vanished into dust, floating away with the wind. And behind Azula... the Fire Lord laid, dead, with the same smoking hole in his back. Zuko then noticed, he was still under water, and now he had lost his breath, and began to choke; he couldn't breathe. The same instant, Azula laughed, with a laughter that pierced Zuko's soul, and then everything blackened for him.

Zuko rose up. Was it a dream? No, it was a nightmare. Zuko's breath was very heavy, and he used a minute to calm down. Then, he was about to exit the bed, but noticed a wall was on the side he was going to exit the bed. 'W_hat is going on here?_' he asked himself. Surely he would remember which side of the bed to get up. Also, everything was moving slightly. What was going on? He got up, but had problems standing because of the pain from the battle last day. But it sure had healed quickly; as they were not even nearly as serious as they were last day.

He got his clothes on, and exited the room he was in, only to find himself in a narrow corridor. '_Where am I_' he thought, and started walking towards what looked like some stairs going up. Everything was still moving, causing Zuko to waver as walked through the corridor. Suddenly, a door opened in front of him, and he hit the door with his nose, causing him to get a nosebleed.

"Oh? Sorry 'bout that" the person who had opened the door said. "I didn't think you were awake yet" he said.

"What do you mean? Where am I? What has happened?" Zuko asked, being too confused to pay attention to the blood seeping from his nose.

"Oh, if you want to know that, I s'pose you'd better ask the cap'n." The man said.

"The captain? You mean this is a ship?" Zuko asked.

"Aye. And the cap'n is on the deck, just up the stairs there." The man said, and walked away, towards the other end of the corridor.

Zuko then headed towards the stairs, wanting to get to the captain and find out what had happened. Now he also noticed the nosebleed, but didn't do anything about it except wiping off some blood. As he opened the door, he almost got blended, as the sun shone straight into the corridor. He got out, and saw around. It was a somewhat large, open deck, and there were many people there, all of which looked at him when he got out. However, he just continued to walk, and found the man who had to be the captain, and it was. He only moved his hand to indicate that Zuko were to follow him, and he followed him up to the captain's cabin, where they sat down in two chairs.

"Why am I here?" was the first thing Zuko asked.

"The villagers told us that you were a traveller, but you had missed your transport, and then they asked us to take you to your destination. But only the crew bought that lie. I knew the instant I saw you that you were a firebender, and I understood that the villagers just wanted to get rid of you without violence. They were terrified by you. And even so, I took you with us, despite what I'd usually do. The reason is that I know who you are. You're not with the Fire Nation, are you? You've escaped" the captain said, giving off an aura of mysticism-

"Yes," Zuko said, "that is correct. But where is this ship headed?" he asked.

"To the Fire Nation capital" the captain said.

"What!? No, let me off; I can't go there!" Zuko said, nearly screaming.

"I figured that" the captain said. "But it's impossible to let you off now; we're at open sea, and we can't take any detours at all."

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Because... if we're late, the Fire Nation soldiers will do terrible things to us."

"What?" Zuko asked

"They... take some of our crew members, even at the slightest mistake."

"What do they do to them then?" Zuko asked.

"We don't know. We never see them again. Well, except for Kad, but he did nothing but sit in a corner and mumbling some terrible stuff about the Fire Nation" the old captain said, obviously upset.

"I see" Zuko said.

"But don't worry," the captain said, "we'll hide you from them as best as we can. I already told the crew you need to hide from them, so they'll help out the best they can."

"Really?" Zuko asked in disbelief

"Yeah, you'll be safe unless they do a thorough search of the ship. But, with the new Fire Lady and all, it's not sure what will happen" the man said. Zuko's eyes widened.

"The new Fire Lady?" Zuko asked in total shock

"Yeah, haven't you heard? The Fire Lord, Ozai, was killed by this woman who has now taken the position as Fire Lady and head of the Fire Nation."

'_Azula..._' Zuko thought. '_It's j__ust like in my dream. Or was it a dream? Was it perhaps a vision?_'

"Hey, you all right?" the captain asked. Zuko had spaced out for a moment there

"Yes, I am. So, what is the name of this Fire Lady then?" Zuko asked, trying to act normal.

"Azala or something" the captain answered. "I don't remember it exactly"

"Oh, thanks anyway" Zuko said. "By the way, how many days will this trip take?"

"If everything goes as planned, we'll be there in a week or two. First, we have to cross the ocean. Then there's a long way along the Fire Nation coast before we're there."

"I see" Zuko said.

Suddenly, the whole boat shook, and a big splash could be heard, along with screams. Then, the door to the windowless cabin they sat in got blasted in, and it struck the wall hard. On top of the door which now laid on the floor, a man laid, bloody and obviously close to death.

"C...ap...tain..." he muttered. "...we...'re...under...attack"


End file.
